E-mail, Feeds, 'n' Stuff

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

They'll need helmets

As we have fully expected, the new City Council members in Lake Oswego are going to face withering scrutiny. Since they're challenging the developer cabal that has had the town by the throat for the last several years, every change they make will prompt griping about process, and every mistake they make will be blown up tenfold. In that sense, the next election campaign is already begun. And it's not hard to tell to see which side the O is going to be on.

If we had a dollar for every time the old mayor and council made a backroom deal, we'd be rich. But how often did the O use the word "quietly" with respect to their actions? Not too often. The L.O. Review, run by the Pamplin media machinery, will probably be even worse. That gang is now all down with the streetcar agenda. Maybe it's the concrete contracts.

UPDATE, 1/17, 7:52 a.m.: As predicted, the Pamplin paper jumps on the bandwagon (or is it a streetcar) as well.

Comments (4)

Lack of transparency? There hasn't been transparency on City Council for the past 12 years. Donna Jordan now has assumed the position that Mary Olson held for 4 years on council. She even occupies Mary's former seat at the dias. Fortunately, common sense, prudence, and fiscal responsibility has supplanted civic hedonism and legacy building as the new watch words on City Council. For Gustafson to say about the appointment of Tom Coffee as interim City manager "At minimum it should have been included in the agenda so that would have notified the public what was going to be discussed." where was he when the Coup d'Etat took place on the Planning Commission when he assumed the Chair? What about his axing the re-appointment of Lynne Prechan at Hoffman's bequest because she didn't roll over and spout the party line with density, development and the like? Watching the 15 Jan 2013 City Council meeting Jon came off as a whining spoiled hypocritical little brat. You're running in the tall grass now Jon, so grow up.

I have had dealings with Mr. Coffee in his different capacities in the City of Lake Oswego before his retirement. I found him to be a pretty easy going and reasonably neutral bureaucrat to work with. I think this is a very good hire.

Over a decade of urban growth "visioning" that we finally caught on to. Personally, I've had about as much vibrancy in Lake Oswego (and Lake Grove) as I can stand. The vast bulk of citizens in LO - the ones who never go to meetings of any sort, who would never in a million years be called a mover or a shaker, resented what was happening and wanted a return to a saner, leaner government that they could afford and would leave the city liviable. I can't figure out why the other side is so surprised. They knew there was a chance they would lose control of the council so they rammed through all kinds of stuff last year before the clock would down on them.

The fact that the Judie/Jack team hijacked the city for so long and got away with it was rather remarkable. The fact that it was stopped is not. The sounds of bleating you will be hearing is from the greedy goats who wanted government handouts for their plans to "pencil out" and the ones whose agenda and power was usurped.

The grinding of gears as the city changes direction will be noisy, but I hope it will calm down. People should just remember why they moved to LO in the first place and be happy about the great city we already have. We voted for change and that is what is happening. There will be room at the table for everyone, there may just be less to do is all. Won't that be nice?

Road Work

Miles run year to date: 113
At this date last year: 155
Total run in 2016: 155
In 2015: 271
In 2014: 401
In 2013: 257
In 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269